This invention relates to a caddy for storing and dispensing user desired lengths of fiber optic patch cords.
The increasing use of fiber optic communication systems has led to a corresponding increase in the use of temporary connections which are usually effected by the use of fiber optic patch cords. These patch cords typically have a single strand of optical fiber encased in a suitable jacket. Another type of fiber optic patch cord is a ribbon cable having multiple strands of optical fibers.
Patch cords are often used in telecommunication systems where many cables are connected to sockets at the front end panels of equipment. In a research and/or testing environment, there may be multiple numbers of such patch cords connecting multiple types of equipment together. Normally these patch cords come in fixed lengths and these fixed length patch cords can lead to a veritable forest of extra length cord hanging between equipment. Similarly, the fixed length of such patch cords may require multiple patch cords to be connected together to provide the desired length. Because of these concerns, it is often quite difficult to manage such patch cords and their lengths in a research and/or testing environment.
The resulting forest of extra patch cords can lead to some unfortunate results as limbs and equipment can easily get entangled in these cords. Furthermore, the tangled patch cords can make the tracing of connections difficult at best. Additionally, since most patch cords look alike, it can be difficult to ensure that each of the tangled array of patch cords is correctly connected.
From the above, it is therefore clear that a device for managing patch cords is needed. Such a device must be simple to use, convenient to deploy, and easily scalable. It is also a prerequisite that the device shall not damage or unduly stress a patch cord.
The present invention seeks to meet the above need by providing a caddy for dispensing fiber optic patch cord cables. The device has a housing inside of which a disk is rotatably mounted. A length of patch cord cable is wound around the circumference of the disk and an S-shaped channel is present on one side of the disk. The channel is sized to hold captive a section of the patch cord fiber optic cable, thereby preventing any loss of signal or damage to the patch cord fiber optic cable from undue bending stresses on the cable. The housing has an opening through which the two ends of the patch cord fiber optic cable protrude. To use the device, the two ends of the patch cord cable are pulled from the opening of the housing thereby unwinding two lengths of the patch cord cable from the rotatable disk. Suitable means for rewinding the patch cord cable around the disk is provided so that once the user is done with the patch cord cable, the extended length of patch cord cable can be rewound and stored in the device. With this device, a user merely pulls the required length of patch cord cable from the opening and attaches the two ends to the equipment to be coupled together, thereby only using the desired length of patch cord cable. Excess lengths of patch cord cable are thus avoided as the device stores such unwanted lengths of cord within the housing.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a caddy for dispensing and storing a fiber optic patch cord, the cord having two ends, the caddy comprising:
a housing having at least one opening through which the two ends protrude;
a disk inside the housing carrying the cord wound around the circumference of the disk;
pin means rotatably attaching the disk to the housing, the pin means being centrally located on the disk;
disk return means for rotating the disk about the pin means, the disk return means being capable of permitting the disk to rotate in a first direction to dispense the cord from the housing and being capable of permitting the disk to rotate in a second direction to retract the cord back into the housing; and
an S-shaped channel on a first side of the disk retaining a section of the cord placed in the channel such that the section is held captive by the channel;
wherein the or each opening is constructed and arranged to allow the cord to be dispensed and retracted without damage to the cord.